Introduction

Our land and waterways are directly connected.  Rain and other precipitation originate as water evaporates from the ocean and lakes.  As rain falls on the land, the water eventually makes its way to streams, rivers, lakes, bays and back to the ocean, carrying with it parts of the land. Therefore, what we do on the land effects the quality of our water, from our drinking water to the places in which we swim and fish.

The following web pages are the work of a COSEE Coastal Trends Scientist-Educator Team that conducted research on the connections between the land and the ocean at Horn Point Laboratory in Cambridge, MD during the summer of 2010. Browse the menu on the left to learn more about watersheds, what affects water quality, and how scientists are studying these inputs. If you are a teacher interested in incorporating land to sea lessons into your science classroom, check out the "Teach" section. Here you can find a series of activities that meet National Science Education Standards and were created by a teacher with the help of the scientist-educator team.

Credits:  Dr. Tom Fisher, Lindsay Tempinson, Claire Sargo, Shadaesha Green, and the COSEE Coastal Trends staff.